1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to slide systems and more particularly, to a slide system that movably connects to adjacent articles.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Slides are used in a multitude of ways to support adjacent movable surfaces that move predictably parallel to each other in predetermined patterns. The most common example is the positioning of drawers or shelves within a housing so that they can be movably withdrawn and replaced. A drawer can be mounted into the opening of an accommodating cabinet or desk by simply being built to size and slipped into the opening. Inexpensive furniture and cabinet construction is often accomplished in this manner. However, a drawer mounted in such a way often sticks, turns slightly sideways when pulled or pushed (and therefore binds), fits unevenly when shut, and extends inwardly of the front of the cabinet or frame. Occasionally, it falls from the supporting structure when inadvertently pulled too far even when not totally withdrawn, and often tilts downwardly forward in an awkward fashion.
It is obviously desirable to provide a mounting that will overcome the shortcomings mentioned above. In a first attempt, cooperating runners were mounted inside the wall of the apparatus and the slide of the drawer to stabilize the movement of the drawer. However, such runners do not allow the drawer to be pulled as far forward as desired. Moreover, the early runners did not enhance the sliding of the drawer except by reducing the surface area of the runners in comparison to with the entire drawer bottom resting on a mating bottom support of the cabinet or frame.
Eventually, slide mountings were introduced that included ball bearings and multiple nested pieces so as to permit the supported drawer to be pulled fully forward from its accommodating opening while remaining supported or held in position to be returned. Such supports have universally been comprised of metallic pieces which are stronger and less fragile than wooden runners. It is apparent that metallic runners are acceptable in many, if not most, applications because of their strength. They do, however, need lubrication and are expensive to fabricate compared with plastic. Plastic, on the other hand, although self-lubricating, has not been strong enough for most applications.
Some applications, for example, like that shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,927,918, include plastic blocks encased by metal parts, which plastic blocks provide self-lubrication to the slide. However, the blocks themselves are surrounded by weight-bearing metal, and the weight is not evenly distributed along the slide, thus causing uneven wear. There has been an attempt to provide virtually all plastic extension slides for mounting drawers and the like without incorporating metal support. See, for example, the disclosure of U.S. Pat. No. 4,712,927. This has not proven to be entirely satisfactory because of the necessity of providing three separate parts to be carefully fitted. Moreover, the wear associated with the inner load-bearing part requires maintenance and part replacement from time to time which is expensive and time-consuming.
Thus, there is still a recognized need for an economical slide system that distributes force over the entire length of the slide and allows for multi-directional loading since many of the present slide systems can operate only in a horizontal environment. There is also a need to prevent slide system failure occurring occasionally when the slide malfunctions and slips from the track because of part failure, stress, or load.
The present invention has been developed to overcome these deficiencies.